RECAP: Hold the obituary. The Vikings are still among the living in the uber-competitive NFC North.

Adrian Peterson's 61-yard touchdown run with eight minutes remaining clinched a pivotal victory at the Metrodome, quelling doubts -- for now -- about Minnesota's quarterback and its playoff hopes entering the bye.

Peterson gained 171 yards on a season-high 27 carries, his fourth straight game of 100-plus yards rushing. Quarterback Christian Ponder threw touchdown passes to Jarius Wright and Kyle Rudolph as the Vikings (6-4) swept the season series from the Lions (4-5).

Blair Walsh added four field goals (48, 33 and a pair of 23-yarders), improving the rookie kicker to 23 for 24 this season.

Detroit quarterback Matthew Stafford (28 of 42, 329 yards) threw touchdown passes to Brandon Pettigrew and Titus Young in the second half to twice pull the Lions within a touchdown, but they had no answer for Peterson, the NFL's leading rusher, who became the first Vikings running back to post five 1,000-yard seasons.

MEANING: The Vikings' maligned defense responded to lackluster performances in two straight defeats and played one of its most physical games of the season to survive Detroit's league-leading passing attack.

Ponder salvaged his dignity, and perhaps his job, with a clean if unspectacular performance (24 of 32, 221 yards) that balanced Minnesota's offense and tamed the wolves clawing at the door.

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Calvin "Megatron" Johnson wreaked plenty of havoc with 12 receptions for an eye-popping 207 yards. But Minnesota completely shut down Detroit's resurgent running game (60 yards) after allowing 100-yard rushers in each of the past three games. They used an aggressive pass rush to harass Stafford and generated a pair of turnovers after a two-game drought.

Most impressive, they won for the first time in three weeks without wide receiver Percy Harvin, who sat out because of an ankle injury.

sADRIAN PETERSON: Continues to amaze 10-1/2 months after reconstructive knee surgery, punishing the Lions for 120 of his 171 yards in the fourth quarter to pad his rushing lead.

s JARIUS WRIGHT: Rookie receiver sparked the long-dormant downfield passing game by streaking past the Lions' secondary to haul in the biggest play of the game and, perhaps, the season.

s CHAD GREENWAY: Led a reinvigorated defense that swarmed to the ball and nabbed his first interception in almost three years to set up a first-quarter field goal.

tSTEPHEN BURTON: Fledgling receiver dropped a red-zone pass in the second quarter -- the only time he was targeted -- that would have set up a potential touchdown instead of a field goal.

t JEROME SIMPSON: Holding penalty on a Peterson run negated a third-down conversion on opening possession of the third quarter and the Vikings eventually were forced to punt.

t SECONDARY: Allowing Johnson to dominate for 207 yards not as egregious as Pettigrew burning over-aggressive safety Harrison Smith for a scoring catch and cornerback A.J. Jefferson dropping an interception.

QUOTABLE: "To be able to get a win going into the bye week is huge. It gives us a chance to sit back, relax, rest a little bit, come back and get ready for three straight division games we've got to win." -- defensive end Brian Robison

UP NEXT: Minnesota enters a Week 11 bye, the latest possible break in the NFL schedule, before traveling to Chicago to play the first-place Bears Nov. 25 at Soldier Field, part of a daunting two-game road stretch that includes a Dec. 2 date with the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.